With summer winding down and Labor Day right around the corner it is time to announce the 2022 Parade Marshal, a person as familiar to the Labor Day Celebrations as the Labor Day Committee limo. The 2022 Wagner Labor Day Committee would like to announce and congratulate this year’s Parade Marshal, Ken Cotton. Ken and his wife Mary have lived in Wagner for over forty years and raised four sons, (J.D., Nick, Steve, and John) here. Together the pair have been involved in numerous organizations and have made themselves pillars of our community.

In 1981 Ken moved to Wagner to assist Owen Wipf at his law firm, Ken very quickly made himself an asset to the firm and this community. Ken has been the attorney for the City of Wagner and the Wagner Community School for over thirty years and during his time here Ken has been involved in numerous organizations. Ken has been involved in Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Son of American Legion, the Wagner Foundation, Wagner Area Growth, the Knights of Columbus, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary Club and he often served as chairman in these various organizations. Ken’s dedication to this community and our Labor Day Celebrations is greatly appreciated.

Ken was a chairman for the Labor Day Committee from 1986-1989 and was chairman during the 1989 Centennial Celebrations in Pierre. It was also in 1989 that Ken and Mary along with Ed and Jackie Bures, Scott and Lynn Doom, and Jim and Julie Jaeger purchased the LDC limo from a small farm near Hartington, SD. Ken recalls that the first ride from Hartington to Wagner was a little bumpy as the car had a worn tire on one side and an undersized radial tire on the other. Since 1989 the LDC limo has proven to be a smooth ride for numerous Queens, countless LDC members, and even Governor George Mickelson who Ken said very much enjoyed our community and its festivities. Ken also served as the MC of the parade for over 20 years. Ken has observed numerous parades and enjoyed them all but this year Ken along with his wife Mary will take the seat of honor in this year’s Labor Day Parade.

Ken was drawn to the area for work but said the people and care they have for one another is what convinced him and Mary to make Wagner their home. During his free time Ken enjoys hunting, fishing, baseball and is even hopeful to take up his old hobby of aviation. However, Ken and Mary say what they enjoy most is spending time with their family and six grandchildren and eagerly await the arrival of their seventh. Ken has seen a lot during his time in Wagner, but he says a sight he truly enjoys seeing is the numerous young families in the area and is hopeful for the future of our community.

It is for all these reason that the 2022 Labor Day Committee would like to name Ken Cotton this year’s Parade Marshal and thank him and Mary for all their years of service to our community. If you see Ken around town, be sure to congratulate him, he is certainly deserving of it.